Lotus vine named &#34;CoFlash&#34;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lotus hybrid  plant named CoFlash, characterized by its pendulous growth habit and production of yellow-red flowers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar botanically known as Lotus hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name “CoFlash”.

The cultivar of the accompanying photographs was developed and selected in a controlled breeding program in Rogue River, Oreg., by the inventors, Harlan Cosner and Susan Cosner, as described herein.

The plant is intended primarily to be ornamentally used in, for example, hanging baskets, in colder regions of the United States, and possibly as ground cover in regions of warmer winters, with minimum temperatures above 25° F.

2. Description of the Relevant Art

TiGo is a result of a cross between a Lotus hybrid and a Lotus maculata. The pollen parent was Amazon Sunset U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,864. The seed parent was TiGo U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,118.

The seed parent was of similar color, but was far less floriferous, producing at least 30% less flowers. Flowering decreases in possible photoperiodic reaction to winter short dull days.

The primary difference between the pollen parent and the instant plant is in flower color, the flowers of the instant plant appear yellow with a red tinge when observed at a distance of a few feet while the flowers of the pollen parent appear scarlet or red.

The plant was discovered as a seedling from a controlled cross-pollination made by the inventor under greenhouse conditions. The plant was produced in a controlled breeding program at Rogue River, Oreg. First asexual production was completed in Rogue River, Oreg. on Jul. 10, 2008.

Asexual propagation of the cultivar by lateral or apical stems with leaves has proven the plant to be stable in successive generations.

Color references are according to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct cultivar of Lotus hybrid having a pendulous plant habit and production of yellow-red bi-color flowers, which appear predominantly yellow from a distance of a few feet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The attached color photographs illustrate the cultivar of the present invention at first inflorescence. FIG. 1 depicts a hanging basket of the cultivar at first inflorescence. FIG. 2 depicts a close-up of the flowers of the cultivar.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and description of the plant and flowers are based on the following environment and cultural practices at Rogue River, Oreg. The following measurements, values and comparisons describe plants grown under a double layer of polyethylene film, with temperatures ranging from between 60° F. to 68° F. at night, and between 85° F. to 100° F. during the daytime. The individual plants were grown in 10-inch hanging baskets in a soiless medium consisting of Perlite and peat moss. Plants were liquid fed with 20-10-20 plus minor elements. The cutting types were lateral or apical stems. Cuttings were stuck in about the first week of December 2008 and finished the first week of June 2009. Light levels were a maximum of 1,000-6,000 ft. candles, depending on cloud cover.

The plant of the present invention has not been observed in all possible environmental and/or cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light level, humidity and also with cultural practices such as fertility, soil and water quality.

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance and the flower color of the cultivar of the present invention described herein. The photographs were taken of a mature plant during first inflorescence.

There may be variations between the colors in the photograph and the colors in the following description due to, for example, light reflectance, the amount of blue or red light captured in the film, and/or propagation stress. If such variations occur, then written description shall control.

The following description was taken of the “CoFlash” cultivar shown in the photographs.

-   Parentage: The new cultivar was developed by standard     cross-pollination. As noted above, its pollen parent was an Amazon     Sunset U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,864, and the seed parent was TiGo U.S.     Plant Pat. No. 14,118. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type of cutting.—Lateral or apical stems with leaves.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 12 to 14 days at             70° F. soil temperature, and 70° F. air temperature. Winter             low light conditions may require longer time to initiate             roots. -   Appearance and form of mature plant:     -   -   Plant form and habit.—Plant is free branching and pendulous.         -   Plant size.—Stems generally protrude upwards until they             reach about 20 cm. in length, then they become pendulous.             Stem length at first flowering is generally about 30 cm.             Both of these measurements are a function of age, the above             environmental and cultural practices, and can vary             accordingly.         -   Rooting habit.—Roots are coarse and somewhat stringy.         -   Branching habit.—Pendulous.         -   Stems.—Habit is pendulous. Internode length on mature stems             is about 1.6 cm. Lateral stems alternate along the main             stem. Color does not match any in the chart, but appears             between 148B and 148C on all surfaces when juvenile. With             age, the surfaces of the stems that are the most exposed to             light become densely spotted with a reddish brown color             making the color appear close to 177A. The undersurfaces or             shaded surfaces tend to remain close to and between 148B and             148C.         -   Foliage.—Shape is linear. Leaves usually numbering 5 or 6             appear in half whorls that alternate in position along the             stems.         -   Foliage size.—Size of the largest leaves is about 1.6 cm. in             length, and about 2 mm. in width.         -   Foliage color.—Adaxial surface color is closest to 137B and             the abaxial surface color is closest to 137C. There is no             visible venation. Juvenile foliage adaxial surface color is             closest to 137B and the abaxial surface color is closest to             137C. There is no visible venation.         -   Foliage texture.—The foliage texture is smooth with very             tiny pubescence.         -   Petioles.—There appears not to be any petioles, or if there             are any, they are too short to determine, as the leaves             appear to be attached directly to the stems.         -   Flower habit.—Apex points outward away from stems.         -   Flower size/shape.—About 1.75 cm. wide and about 3.25 cm.             high, and about 0.5 cm. deep. The center petals are fused             together appearing as one single petal with each of the             fused center petals being about 0.6 cm. wide and 3 cm. deep,             and the shape is linear on one side, and ovate on the other             with exaggerated and curved acuminate apex (more like a             curved, tapering, acicular or filliform apex), entire margin             and cuneate base. Each side petal is about 0.6 cm. wide and             about 2.3 cm. long, and the shape is linear on one side, and             ovate on the other side, with a cuneate base and acuminate             apex, and entire margin. The center petal is about 0.7 cm.             wide and about 2.3 cm. long that is strongly reflexed into a             U-shape, cuneate base, strongly acuminate apex, and entire             margin. These measurements refer to the larger flowers.         -   Flower texture.—Smooth.         -   Flower count.—Usually 3 to 4 flowers per axial and             occasionally 5 per axial.         -   Flowers borne.—Arising from leaf axils, one peduncle per             node, with generally one to four pedicels per peduncle, each             pedicel producing a single flower. Flowers are single in             type.         -   Natural flowering season.—Can be Year around under             greenhouse conditions, except flowering may decrease or             cease during low-light periods of winter, indicating the             plant may be somewhat photoperiodic. Little or no             vernalization is required and the plants flower continuously             when minimum temperatures are below 65° F., except possible             photoperiodic responses as stated above. The plant also             flowers continuously at sustained minimum temperatures in             excess of 65° F., except to a lesser extent. The plants do             flower heaviest after about 30 days of minimum temperatures             below 50 degrees F.         -   Time to flower. About 12 weeks from rooted cutting to first             inflorescence, depending on the age of the cuttings that             were stuck, and other environmental conditions. Budded             cuttings flowered earlier than juvenile cuttings.         -   Flower shape and color. There are 5 petals, with the two             largest petals fused together at each side forming a hollow             tube-type of single organ that is wider at the base than at             the apex. The adaxial surface of each of these petals is             close to 17C at the base and the apex appears close to 183A             with a small area close to 45A toward the middle of the             petal, then another small area close to 45A toward the base,             but each color is hard to determine due to the small size of             each area. There are two side petals which parallel the main             two fused petals, their adaxial surface is close to 150A at             base, then close to 28A from base to midway and apex. There             are tineyreddish streaks toward the apex which are very             narrow, making the color very hard to determine, but which             appear close to 34A and 45A close to the apex. There is a             strongly reflexed center petal which attaches to the calyx             and covers about half of the abaxial surface of the two side             petals, the adaxial surface color is closest to 150C at the             base to 34B to about one quarter of the way to the way to             the apex. There is a strip between 17C and 17B to about             three quarters of the way to the apex with a center strip             close to 187B to 187C, to 46A toward the apex that is in the             center of the petal. The abaxial surface of the outer fused             petal is close to 20C at the base toward apex, then changing             about the middle of the petal to close to 16A. Then about             three quarters of the petal toward the apex is a dark strip             close to 168A. The apical portion is colored close to 183A             to 183B. The side petals at the base are close to 162B, then             a strip of reddish tinged yellow close to 162A to 162B. Most             of the remaining portion of the petals toward the apex is             closest to 16A. The apex is closest to 16A. The reflexed             center petal has about a half centemeter of a base color of             close to 153C to 153D. Then on each side, is a small spot of             close to 33A, then there is a strip of close to 17A to 17B             on the outer edges that extend from a basal spot of 153C to             153D to about three-quarters of the petal length toward the             apex. There is a center stripe close to 165A that extends             from the basal spot of 153C to 153D to the apex.         -   Flower buds.—Lanceolate in shape, about 1 cm. in length and             about 0.4 cm. in diameter at the base. Bud color prior to             opening is close to 143B at the base, and 143B toward the             apex with an area of 143C to 143D in the center of the bud.         -   Peduncles.—Length is about ______ cm. and diameter is about             ______ mm. The color does not match any in the chart, but             appears between ______ and ______ with extremely tiny             reddish spots, which are too small to determine color.         -   Pedicels.—About 0.5 cm. long and about 1 mm. in width. Color             is closest to 143C.         -   Calyx.—There is one calyx measuring about 0.5 cm. wide and             1 cm. long. It is sheathing and crown-like in shape with             five pointed lobes, each with an acute to acuminate apex.             There are two which are longer than the other three. These             longer two are curved and follow the curvature of the center             reflexed petal described above. The apex of each of the             shorter three points is about 0.6 cm. long and the longer             two are each about 0.75 cm. long. The adaxial surface is             close to 143A at the base, and close to 143A at the apex             with a stripe close to 143C in the middle. The abaxial             surface is close to 143A at the base and 143C at the apex.             There is very fine pubescence on both surfaces the color of             which cannot be determined due to the tiny size.         -   Reproductive organs.—Ovary is colored close to 143B to 143C,             about 1.25 cm. in length and 1.5 mm. in diameter. The stigma             is colored close to 145C, about: 1 mm. wide and 2 cm long.             The stamen is a single organ at the base which sheaths the             ovary, then it splits into 5 individual filaments, each of             which produces a tiny anther that appears close to 153D, but             exact color cannot be determined due to the tiny size of the             anthers. The stamen and filaments are colored close to 150D.             The pollen color appears close to 12C. The pollen is shed             before the stigma is receptive to pollen and natural seed             production has not occurred.         -   Disease resistance.—Plants seem to be highly resistant or             even immune to INSV, TSWV and most other viruses, bacteria             and fungi. Plants have been tested in outdoor unscreened             conditions where obvious virus contaminations were prevalent             and thrip populations were high, but no occurrences of virus             contaminations were noticed despite high populations of             thrips on the plants in close proximity to plants of other             species susceptible to such contaminations, and showing             obvious virus symptoms.         -   Rooting ability.—Easy, no hormones needed.         -   Cold/heat resistance.—Plants have flowered continuously             under temperatures where maximums exceeded 100° F., and             where minimums did not fall below 65° F. -   Comparison chart to prior art: The major differences of the instant     cultivar is compared to TiGo.

TiGo CoFlash Stem colors- 139D 148B to 148C Foliage surface colors Adaxial 138A 137B Abaxial 138B 137C Flower colors Adaxial petal surfaces Largest petals- Base  11C  17C Apex 180A to 180B 183A, 45A, 42A Side petals base  12A 150A Midsection  14A, and  28A Apex 179A, 180A  34A, 45A Center petal base  9D 150C Midsection  14B  34B Center stripe 187A to 200A  17C to 17D and 187B to 187C  46A Abaxial petal surfaces Largest petals- base  31B to 31C  20C Midsection  12A  16A Apex 171A 168A and 183A Side petals- base  37B 162B Midsection  13A 162A to 162B Apex 179A  16A and 29A Center petal - base  1C 153C to 153D Midsection 179A, 164A  33A, 17A to 17B, 163A, 166A, 153C to 153D 180a 165A Apex 175A 165A

-   Color code chart:     -   -   Stems.—148A, 148C, 177A, 148B.         -   Foliage.—137B, 137C.         -   Flowers.—17C, 183A, 42A, 45A, 150A, 28A, 34A, 48A, 150C,             34B, 17C, 17D, 187A, 20C, 16A, 46A, 168A, 183A, 162B, 183B,             162A, 162B, 16A, 28A, 153C, 153D, 33A, 17A, 17B, 153C, 153D,             165A, 153C, 153D.         -   Flower buds.—143B, 143C, 143D.         -   Peduncles.—143B, 143C.         -   Pedicels.—143C.         -   Calyx.—143A, 143A, 143C, 143A, 143C.         -   Reproductive organs.—143B, 143C, 145C, 153D, 150D, 12C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lotus hybrid named CoFlash, as illustrated and described herein. 